ACT embarking on sweeping changes to surrogacy laws
The ACT is generally considered one of the most socially progressive jurisdictions in the country, but the territory government says its laws around surrogacy are the most regressive in Australia. It's introduced a range of changes designed to make it easier to find a surrogate and make the country's laws more consistent.
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00:00 Clare Woodhead never thought she'd need a surrogate to have a child, but that quickly
00:06 changed after a shock cancer diagnosis last year and a subsequent hysterectomy.
00:13 Coming to terms with it was just the first step. Finding someone to carry her child has
00:27 proven more complicated.
00:34 The ACT is embarking on sweeping changes to surrogacy laws to bring it closer to the rest
00:46 of the country. They include allowing single people like Clare to access surrogacy and
00:52 not just couples. The bill would also permit advertising for an altruistic surrogate, though
00:58 commercial surrogacy remains off limits. And legal obstacles to finding a surrogate interstate
01:04 will be removed.
01:11 Surrogacy lawyer Sarah Jefford hopes more people will avoid the legal minefield of travelling
01:21 overseas for surrogacy. She says the changes will make Australia's laws easier to navigate.
01:28 Breaking down barriers for aspiring parents.
01:37 [BLANK_AUDIO]